in the arts of flaughter at Tangiers, where he ferved in garrifon, took a pleasure in committing inflances of wanton barbarity. He ordered a certain number to be put to death, while he and his company were drinking the king's health. Obferving their feet to shake in the agonies of death, he cried that they should have mufic to their dancing, and ordered the trumpets to found. He ravaged the whole country, without making any diftinction between friend or foe. His own regiment, for their peculiar barbarity, went by the name of Kirke's Lambs. A ftory is told of his offering a young woman the life of her brother, in cafe fhe confented to his defires, which, when she had done, he fhewed her her brother hanging out of the window. But this is told of feveral others, who have been notorious for cruelty, and may be the tale of malignity.

But the military feverities of the commanders. were ftill inferior to the legal flaughters, committed by judge Jefferies who was fent down to try the delinquents. The natural brutality of this man's temper was enflamed by continual intoxication. He told the prifoners, that if they would fave him the trouble of trying them they might expect fome favour, otherwife he would execute the law upon them with the utmoft feverity. Many poor wretches were thus allured into a confeffion, and found that it only haftened their destructi-, on. No lefs than eighty were executed at Dorchefter: and, on the whole, at Exeter, Taunton, and Wells, two hundred and fifty-one are computed to have fallen by the hand of juftice. Women

were not exempted from the general feverity, but fuffered for harbouring their nearest kindred. Lady Lifle, though the widow of a regicide, was herfelt a loyalift. She was apprehended for having ineltered in her house two fugitives from the battle

of

of Sedgemore. She proved that she was ignorant of their crime when fhe had given them protection, and the jury feemed inclined to compaffion : they twice brought in a favourable verdict; but they were as often fent back by Jefferies, with menaces and reproaches, and at laft were constrained to give a verdict against the prisoner.

But the fate of Mrs. Gaunt was ftill more terrible. Mrs. Gaunt was an Anabaptift, noted for her beneficence, which she had extended to perfons of all profeffions and perfuafions. One of the rebels knowing her humane character, had recourfe to her in his distress, and was concealed by her. The abandoned villain hearing that a reward and indemnity was offered to fuch as informed against criminals, came in, and betrayed his protectrefs. His evidence was inconteftible; the proofs were ftrong, against her; he was pardoned for his treachery,, and the burnt alive for her benevolence.

The work of flaughter went forward. One Cor-nish, a sheriff who had been long obnoxious to the court, was accufed by Goodenough, now turned a common informer, and in the space of a week was tried, condemned, and executed. After his death, the perjury of the witneffes appeared fo Aagrant, that the king himfelf expreffed fome regret, granted his eftate to the family, and condemned the witneffes to perpetual imprisonment. Jefferies, on his return was immediately created a peer, and was foon after vefted with the dignity of chancellor. This fhewed the people that all the former cruelties were picafing to the king, and that he was refolved to fix his throne upon feverity.

It was not to be fuppofed that these flaughters could acquire the king the love or the confidence of his people; yet he thought this a very favourable juncture for carrying on his schemes of religion ̧

and

and arbitrary power. Such attempts in Charles, however unjust, were in fome measure politic, as he had a republican faction to contend with; and it might have been prudent then to overstep juftice, in order to obtain fecurity. But the fame defigns in James, were as imprudent as they were impracticable; the republicans were then diminifhed to an inconfiderable number, and the people were fenfible of the advantages of a limited monarchy. However, James began to throw off the mafk; and in the houfe of commons, by his fpeech, he seemed to think himfelf exempted from all rules of prudence or neceffity of diffimulation. He told the houfe, that the militia were found by experience to be of no ufe; that it was neceflary to augment the standing army; and that he had employed a great many catholic officers, in whofe favour he had thought proper to difpenfe with the teft, required to be taken by all entrusted by the crown: he found them useful, he raid, and he was determined to keep them employed. These stretches of power naturally led the lords and commons into fome degree of oppofition; but they foon acquiefced in the king's meafures, and then the parliament was diffolved for their tardy compliance. This was happy for the nation, for it was perhaps impoffible to pick out another house of commons, that could be more ready to acquiefce in the measures of the crown.

A. D.

The parliament being difiniffed, the next step was to fecure a catholic interest

1686. in the privy council. Accordingly four

catholic lords were admitted; Powis, Arundel, Belafis, and Dover. The king made no fecret of his defires to have his courtiers converted to his own religion; Sunderland, who faw that the only way to preferment was by popery, fcrupled not to gain vour at that price. Kochefter, the treasurer, was turned

turned out of his office, because he refused to conform. In thefe fchemes, James was entirely governed by the counfels of the queen and of his confeffor, father Peters, a Jefuit, whom he foon after created a privy-counfellor. Even in Ireland, where the duke of Ormond had long fupported the royal caufe, this nobleman was difplaced as being a proteftant; and the lord Tyrconnel, a furious Roman catholic, was placed in his ftead. The king one day, in his attempts to convert his fubjects, ftooped fo low as colonel Kirke; but this daring foldier told him that he was pre-engaged, for he had promised the king of Morocco, when he was quartered at Tangiers, that if he ever changed his religion, he would turn Mahometan.

But it could not be expected that the favour fhewn by James to the catholics, would be tamely borne by the members of the English church. They had hitherto, indeed, fupported the king against his republican enemies, and to their affiftance he chiefly owed his crown. But finding his partiality to the catholics, the clergy of the church of England began to take the alarm, and commenced an oppofition to court meafures. The pulpits now thundered out against popery, and it was urged, that it was more formidable from the fupport granted it by the king. It was in vain that James attempted to impofe filence on these topics; inftead of avoiding the controversy, the proteftant preachers pursued it with ftill greater warmth.

Among thofe who diftinguifhed themselves on this occation, was one doctor Sharpe, a clergyman of London, who declaimed with juft feverity against thote who had changed their religion, by fuch arguments as the popifh miffionaries were able to produce. This being fuppofed to reflect upon the king, gave great offence at court; and pofitive orders were given to the bishop of London to fuf

pend

pend Sharpe till his majefty's pleasure should be farther known. The bishop refused to comply; and the king refolved to punish the bishop himself for difobedience.

To effect his defigns, he determined to revive the high commiffion court, which had given the nation fo much difguft in the times of his father; and which had been for ever abolished by act of parliament. But the laws were no obftacle to James, when they combated his inclinations. An ecclefiaftical commiflion was iffued out anew, by which feven commiffioners were invefted with a full and unlimited authority over the whole church of England. This was a blow to the church which alarmed the kingdom; and could the authority of this court take place, the king's intentions of converting the nation would naturally follow. Before this tribunal the bishop was fummoned, and not only he, but Sharpe the preacher, were fufpended.

The next step was to allow a liberty of confeience to all fectaries; and he was taught to believe that the truth of the catholic religion, would then, upon a fair trial, gain the victory. In fuch a cafe, the fame power that granted liberty of confcience might reftrain it; and the catholic religion alone be then permitted to predominate. He therefore iffued a declaration of general indulgence, and afferted that non-conformity to the established religion was no longer penal. In order to procure a favourable reception to this edict, he began by paying court to the diffenters, as if it had been principally intended for their benefit. But that fect was too cunning and fufpicious to be fo deceiv- ed. They knew that the king only meant to eftablish his own religion at the expence of theirs; and that both his own temper, and the genius of popery, had nothing of the true fpirit of toleration

in